Self-shopping refrigerator

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a refrigerator system, a method and a software program product for controlling and/or advising a diet for a user. The refrigerator system has a refrigerator including a light and a camera that captures an image of contents of the refrigerator. The image is processed by a graphics processing unit (GPU) integrated with the refrigerator and/or a cloud server. The GPU analyses the image to recognise a quantity, a quality, and/or a kind of food articles and/or food packages such as, vegetables, fruits, beverages, etc. A central processing unit (CPU)/GPU of the refrigerator provides diet plans, recipe recommendations, identifies grocery replenishment requirements, updates and shares shopping lists with food delivery agents, etc., based on the analysis of the refrigerator contents. The invention helps in minimizing food wastage, expanding meal options considering expiry dates, and maximizing benefits of a healthy diet by recommending and controlling the user&#39;s diet.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Present disclosure generally relates to a refrigerator system, and moreparticularly to a refrigerator system that recommends and controls adiet of a human and/or a mammal.

BACKGROUND

A refrigerator is an indispensable household appliance that has been inuse for more than a century for food storage. However, people end upwasting food and money in the process of preparing, consuming, andreplenishing food stored in the refrigerator. For example, a person maynot consume perishable food items in time to avoid the food frombecoming stale. A person may forget about leftover meals kept in therefrigerator for later consumption, or may unknowingly purchase fooditems already present in the refrigerator. Food wastage not only burns ahole in consumer's pocket, but also contributes to environmentalpollution, indirectly affecting people's health. Further, a person maymisjudge the stale food to be consumable by simply looking or smellingthe food and end up jeopardizing his/her health.

Presently, more than one-third of America's population is obese. This isprimarily attributed to unhealthy eating habits and high calorie intake.People consume more of processed packaged food and drive-through pickedup food items that are considered to be cheap, delicious and feasible tobe stored in the refrigerator for multiple days. However, ignoring thehigh calorie intake associated with such food items leads to obesity andother health implications.

An oven including in-cavity sensors and a processor configured toautomatically identify foodstuff within the cooking cavity based on thesensor measurements is disclosed in US 20160327281. This document iscited here as reference.

Further, in the prior art the consumers spend a considerable amount oftime in the food procurement and logistics operation. In the prior artthe consumer sends an electronic shopping list, which takes time toprepare, to a shop with home delivery. Alternatively, the consumer goesto the shop himself to do the purchases which takes even more time.

The prior art is deficient in techniques that can identify and suggestconsumption of food items present in the refrigerator before they becomestale. Further, the prior art is deficient in methods of assisting auser with timely procurement and replenishment of food items andconsumption of healthier food choices.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the invention to address and improve aforementioneddeficiencies in above discussed prior art(s).

It is an object of the invention to control and/or advice on a diet of ahuman and/or a mammal via a refrigerator system. The refrigerator systemcomprising a refrigerator having a central processing unit (CPU), agraphics processing unit (GPU), and a user terminal device is providedfor recommending and implementing reduced food wastage, healthier diet,and variable diet options. Although the invention is describedhereinafter with reference to the CPU performing some computer programsand/or instructions and the GPU performing some computer programs and/orinstructions, it is to be understood that both the CPU and the GPU maybe used interchangeably to perform these computer programs and/orinstructions within the scope of the invention. For example, the GPU mayperform a portion or all of computer programs and/or instructionsdescribed herein as performed by the CPU and vice versa. However, due tothe nature of these processing devices, the GPU is typically used inhigh processing volume parallel processing tasks, such as dataextraction by image recognition using deep learning algorithms andartificial intelligence. The CPU is typically used more in serialprocessing involving alphanumeric computations, such as credit cardpurchases of food, calculations etc.

In one aspect of the invention, the refrigerator is equipped with atleast one light that remains on when a door of the refrigerator closes.The light allows an inside of the refrigerator to remain illuminated atall times or sometimes to facilitate capturing images of therefrigerator's food content. The light may be, for example, a halogenlamp, a fluorescent lamp, a metal halide lamp, a sulphur lamp, anelectrodeless lamp, an LED, an incandescent bulb, a light bulb, etc. Inan example, each shelf of the refrigerator has a light affixed to aninternal wall of the shelf. In an embodiment, the internal wall is atransparent wall such that light emerges from the internal wall that mayilluminate the inside of the refrigerator.

In another aspect of the invention, the refrigerator includes at leastone camera for capturing images of food articles and/or food packagesstored in the refrigerator. The image may be stored in a data fileand/or other memory mediums such as, a local memory unit of therefrigerator, a removable data storage device, or in the cloud server.The camera may be, for example, a pinhole camera, a digital camera, aremote camera, a lipstick camera, cameras with CMOS sensors, cameraswith CCD sensors, etc. In an example, each shelf of the refrigerator hasa camera affixed to an internal wall of the shelf. The food articlesand/or the food packages may comprise, for example, fruits, vegetables,meat and fish items, dairy products, eggs, bread items, cannedbeverages, packaged or canned fruit juices, spices, condiments, etc.

In a further aspect of the invention, the GPU analyses the images of thefood articles and/or the food packages captured by the camera. In anembodiment, the GPU is integrated with a control unit of therefrigerator comprising the central processing unit (CPU) and a memoryunit. In another embodiment, the GPU is integrated with a cloud serverin communication with the refrigerator via a network. In thisembodiment, the images captured by the refrigerator's camera are sent tothe cloud server's GPU for processing.

In another aspect of the invention, the GPU analyses the images torecognize food quantity, quality, and/or kind from the images. Theinformation derived from the analysis concerning the food quantity, thequality, and/or the kind can be used to control and/or advise a dietplan for the human and/or the mammal; identify deficiencies in foodcontent of the refrigerator; update shopping lists with the deficientfood articles and/or the food packages; identify a recipe using the foodarticles and/or the food packages; identify a best before date of foodarticles and /or the food packages and suggest recipe options using thefood articles and/or the food package to avoid food wastage, etc.

A refrigerator system configured to control and/or advise on the diet ofa human and/or a mammal is in accordance with the invention andcharacterised in that,

-   -   at least one internal wall of the refrigerator is configured to        have at least one light,    -   at least one internal wall of the refrigerator is configured to        have at least one camera,    -   at least one food article and/or food package is configured to        be stored inside the refrigerator,    -   the at least one camera is configured to take an image of the        food article and/or food package and store it into a data file        or other memory medium,    -   a graphical processing unit GPU is configured to analyse the at        least one image,    -   the GPU is configured to recognise the food quantity, quality        and/or kind from the image.

A method for controlling and/or advising on the diet of a human and/or amammal, comprising at least one refrigerator, at least one graphicsprocessing unit, at least one camera, characterised by the followingsteps,

-   -   at least one food article and/or food package is stored inside        the refrigerator,    -   at least one light inside the refrigerator illuminates at least        one food article and/or food package,    -   at least one camera inside the refrigerator photographs at least        one food article and/or food package,    -   the at least one camera takes an image of the food article        and/or food package and stores it into a data file or other        memory medium,    -   a graphical processing unit GPU analyses the at least one image,    -   the GPU recognises the food quantity, quality and/or kind from        the image.

A software program product stored in a memory medium for controllingand/or advising on the diet of a human and/or a mammal, operable with atleast one refrigerator, at least one graphics processing unit, at leastone camera, characterised by the following steps,

-   -   at least one food article and/or food package is stored inside        the refrigerator,    -   at least one light inside the refrigerator illuminates at least        one food article and/or food package,    -   at least one camera inside the refrigerator photographs at least        one food article and/or food package,    -   the camera takes an image of the food article and/or food        package and the software program product stores it into a data        file or other memory medium,    -   the software program product uses the graphical processing unit        GPU to analyse the at least one image,    -   the software program product uses the GPU to recognise the food        quantity, quality and/or kind from the image.

The invention has sizable advantages. The invention results in ensuringminimal or no food wastage, provides one or multiple diet plan optionsas a function of time, and provides healthier and nutritious dietchoices. By identifying deficient food articles or packages to bereplenished and updating a shopping list with the deficient foodarticles or packages, the invention results in accurate and automaticpurchasing decisions. The shopping list can be directly communicatedwith a grocer or a food delivery agent that can save a user money andtransit time. The invention leads to optimal food consumption thatminimizes food wastage and simplifies management of logistics of groceryshopping and meal preparation. The identification of healthier foodchoices and recommending corresponding recipes and diet plans allows theuser to save time invested in food preparation and/or procurement. Theuse of deep learning architectures by the GPU for identifying the foodarticles and/or the food packages present in the refrigerator allowsfast and correct processing and analysis of the images that is time andeffort efficient for the consumer.

The best mode of the invention is considered to be the refrigeratorcomprising the GPU, a light and a camera in each shelf of therefrigerator. The light remains on when refrigerator doors are closed toilluminate the food articles and/or food packages contained therein. Thecameras capture images of the entire food content of the refrigerator.The GPU analyses the images to determine a quality, a quantity, and/or akind of each food article and/or food package present in therefrigerator. The determined information may then be used, for example,for identifying a diet plan, recommending recipes, for posting on socialmedia and/or for sending to nutritionist, identifying deficient foodarticles and/or packages, updating shopping lists and sending the sameto grocers or food delivery agents, etc. in the best mode. In the bestmode, the food articles are identified by the GPU with a deep learningalgorithm that can be updated from a cloud server. In the best mode,deep learning image recognition is the primary identification method offood articles, and visual search based on image extracted text queriesand/or image based queries is the auxiliary method of identification ofthe food articles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 demonstrates an embodiment 10 of a method for controlling and/oradvising on a diet of a human and/or a mammal in accordance with theinvention as a flow diagram.

FIG. 2A demonstrates an embodiment 20 of a refrigerator system inaccordance with the invention as a block diagram.

FIG. 2B demonstrates an embodiment 21 of a software program product userinterface implemented in a user terminal device, in accordance with theinvention as a screen shot diagram.

FIG. 3 demonstrates an embodiment 30 of a software program product userinterface in accordance with the invention as a screen shot diagram.

FIG. 4A demonstrates an embodiment 40 of a more elaborate method foridentifying food articles and/or food packages present in arefrigerator, in accordance with the invention as a flow diagram.

FIG. 4B demonstrates an embodiment 41 of a method for using a deeplearning algorithm for identifying the food items present in therefrigerator, in accordance with the invention as a diagram.

FIG. 4C demonstrates an embodiment 42 of a method for performing avisual search for recognizing the food items present in therefrigerator, in accordance with the invention as a diagram.

FIG. 5 demonstrates an embodiment 50 of a more elaborate method forusing the identified food articles and/or the food packages incontrolling and adjusting the diet of the human and/or the mammal, inaccordance with the invention as a flow diagram.

FIG. 6 demonstrates an embodiment 60 of a more elaborate refrigeratorsystem for identifying the food articles and/or the food packagespresent in the refrigerator, in accordance with the invention as a blockdiagram.

FIG. 7 demonstrates an embodiment 70 of a more elaborate refrigeratorsystem for using the identified food articles and/or the food packagesin controlling and adjusting the diet of the human and/or the mammal, inaccordance with the invention as a block diagram.

FIG. 8A demonstrates an embodiment 80 of a software program product userinterface showing food identification in accordance with the inventionas a screen shot diagram.

FIG. 8B demonstrates an embodiment 81 of a software program product userinterface showing a diet plan in accordance with the invention as ascreen shot diagram.

FIG. 9 demonstrates an embodiment 90 of a software program product userinterface showing use of the food identification information incontrolling and adjusting the diet of the human and/or the mammal, inaccordance with the invention as a screen shot diagram.

FIG. 10A demonstrates an embodiment 91 of the refrigerator showing fooditems contained therein, in accordance with the invention as a diagram.

FIG. 10B demonstrates an embodiment 92 of a software program productuser interface showing a derived shopping list to address deficienciesin the food items of the refrigerator, in accordance with the inventionas a screen shot diagram.

FIG. 11A demonstrates an embodiment 93 of the refrigerator showing fooditems contained therein, in accordance with the invention as a diagram.

FIG. 11B demonstrates an embodiment 94 of a software program productuser interface showing a derived recipe recommendation list based on thefood items of the refrigerator, in accordance with the invention as ascreen shot diagram.

Some of the embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure provides a refrigerator system, a method, and asoftware program product for controlling and advising on a diet plan ofa user. The diet plan may be suggested for a human or a mammal.

The refrigerator system comprises a refrigerator, a graphics processingunit (GPU), and a user terminal device. The refrigerator comprises atleast one light that illuminates an interior surface of therefrigerator. Further, one or more cameras are installed in therefrigerator to capture images of food articles and/or food packagesplaced in the refrigerator. The GPU is configured to analyse the imagesand to recognise the food quantity, quality and/or kind from the image.In an embodiment, the GPU is installed in the refrigerator. In anotherembodiment, the GPU is integrated with a cloud server. The cloud serverGPU receives the images from the refrigerator and analyses the images.The information derived from the analysis is used to provide, forexample, a diet plan, recipe recommendations, grocery item deficiencynotifications, shopping list updates, etc. Hence, the inventionoptimizes food procurement, preparation, and consumption and assists inmanaging logistics involved in the food procurement process.

FIG. 1 demonstrates an embodiment 10 of a method for controlling and/oradvising on a diet of the user in accordance with the invention as aflow diagram. The method could be implemented in a system identical orsimilar to embodiment 20, 60, and 70 in FIG. 2A, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 forexample. The end-user of the method could use a user interface identicalor similar to that disclosed with embodiment 21, 30, 80, 81, 90, 92, and94 in FIG. 2B, FIG. 3, FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 9, FIG. 10B, and FIG. 11B.

The method for controlling and/or advising on the diet of the userinventively with a refrigerator typically features at least onerefrigerator, the GPU, and a user terminal device communicating witheach other via a network which is typically the wireless Internetrelying on Wi-Fi or a cellular radio data connection. Alternatively, theuser terminal device can be mounted into the refrigerator, for examplein the door of the refrigerator. In an embodiment, the refrigeratorcomprises the GPU. In another embodiment, a cloud server comprises theGPU.

In phase 100, at least one food article and/or a food package is storedin the refrigerator. The food article may be, for example, a vegetable,a fruit, a beverage, meat, eggs, fish, bread, a dairy product, etc. Thefood package may be a packaged form of any of the abovementioned foodarticles, for example, packaged beverages, packed vegetables, waterbottles, etc. The food article and/or the food package may hereinafterbe referred to as “food items”.

In phase 105, at least one light installed in the refrigerator is usedto illuminate the food items placed in the refrigerator. More than onelight may be installed in the refrigerator such that all interiorsurfaces of the refrigerator that may be used to store the food articlesare visibly illuminated by light. In an embodiment, the light ispositioned on an internal wall of the refrigerator. In anotherembodiment, the internal wall is a transparent wall such that lightemerges from the wall that may illuminate the interior surfaces of therefrigerator.

In phase 110, at least one camera installed in the refrigeratorphotographs images of the food items. If there is one camera installedin each shelf of the refrigerator, each camera captures (synchronouslyor asynchronously) images of the contents of each shelf. In an exampleimplementation, the refrigerator may comprise multiple cameras such thatthe food items stored in each shelf of the refrigerator can be capturedby the at least one camera.

In phase 115, the at least one camera takes an image of the food items.In this phase 115, the captured images are stored in a data file. In oneembodiment, the data file may be saved in a memory unit of a controlunit of the refrigerator. In another embodiment, the data file is storedin a cloud based database of the cloud server implemented in a cloudcomputing environment. In an example, the data file may be an imagefile, a video file, a multimedia file, etc. The data file may be, forexample, of a JPEG format, a PNG format, a GIF format, an MPEG formatetc. In one embodiment, the captured images are stored in other memorymediums such as a removable storage device.

In phase 120, the GPU analyses at least one captured image. In anembodiment, the captured image is analysed using deep learningarchitecture. In another embodiment, the GPU may perform a visual searchon the captured image by using search query terms such as image terms ortext terms to identify food package and corresponding information. Inanother embodiment, the GPU may use any of conventional image analysistechniques, for example, object recognition, image segmentation, featureextraction, optical character recognition (OCR), object-based imageanalysis, etc. For example, if a food package has a bar code printed onthe package, the GPU may use OCR technique to read the bar code andidentify the food package and information associated with the foodpackage such as, expiry date, calorie information, quantity, etc. Alsotext can be extracted by OCR from the packages to formulate textualquery terms in accordance with the invention.

In phase 125, the GPU recognizes a food quality, a food quantity, and/ora food kind from the analysis of the image. For example, the GPU may usea deep learning architecture such as convolutional neural networks tocorrectly recognize a food item, recognize whether a food item is staleor fresh, estimate a weight of the food item, determine a type of thefood item, etc. In an embodiment, the GPU may use the image analysistechniques or perform a visual search by using query terms to recognizethe food quality, food quantity, and/or food kind from the analysis ofthe image. For example, by extracting suitable query terms with the GPUthe system can identify the food package and retrieve all informationabout the food package from the Internet.

In an example implementation, the GPU may use convolutional neuralnetworks for identifying the food item. The GPU may be trained beforeinstalling the GPU in the refrigerator system. For example, the GPU isinputted with 1000 images of a food article such as, a broccoli duringthe training phase. The images may be of broccoli of different sizes orshapes of broccoli flower heads and/or stalk, different kinds ofbroccoli such as, Calabrese broccoli, sprouting broccoli, purplebroccoli, etc., with different degrees of rawness, etc. The GPU analysesthe images to identify different features of broccoli such as, weight,colours, shapes, sizes, types, rawness, etc. The GPU compares each imagewith another to identify similarities between multiple varieties ofbroccoli. With the training, the GPU is enabled to recognize broccoli ofany kind. The GPU is inputted with broccoli characteristics tosuccessfully identify broccoli of any kind that may be present in therefrigerator.

Any features of embodiment 10 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 70, 80, 81,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2A demonstrates an embodiment 20 of the refrigerator system 200 inaccordance with the invention as a block diagram. The refrigeratorsystem 200 comprises the user terminal device 215, a GPU 210 or 240, andthe refrigerator 225. In an embodiment, the GPU 240 is installed in therefrigerator 225. In another embodiment, the GPU 210 is integrated withthe cloud server 205.

In an example, the cloud server 205 may comprise a plurality of servers(not shown). In an example implementation, the cloud server 205 may beany type of a database server, a file server, a web server, anapplication server, etc., configured to store data files of images ofthe food items 259. In another example implementation, the cloud server205 may comprise a plurality of databases for storing the data files.The databases may be, for example, a structured query language (SQL)database, a NoSQL database such as the Microsoft® SQL Server, theOracle® servers, the MySQL® database, etc. The cloud server 205 may bedeployed in a cloud environment managed by a cloud storage serviceprovider, and the databases may be configured as cloud based databasesimplemented in the cloud environment.

The cloud server 205 which may include an input-output device usuallycomprises a monitor (display), a keyboard, a mouse and/or touch screen.However, typically there is more than one computer server in use at onetime, so some computers may only incorporate the computer itself, and noscreen and no keyboard. These types of computers are typically stored inserver farms, which are used to realise the cloud network used by thecloud server 205 of the invention. The cloud server 205 can be purchasedas a separate solution from known vendors such as Microsoft and Amazonand HP (Hewlett-Packard). The cloud server 205 typically runs Unix,Microsoft, iOS, Linux or any other known operating system, and comprisestypically a microprocessor, memory, and data storage means, such as SSDflash or Hard drives. To improve the responsiveness of the cloudarchitecture, the data is preferentially stored, either wholly orpartly, on SSD i.e. Flash storage. This component is eitherselected/configured from an existing cloud provider such as Microsoft orAmazon, or the existing cloud network operator such as Microsoft orAmazon is configured to store all data to a Flash based cloud storageoperator, such as Pure Storage, EMC, Nimble storage or the like. UsingFlash as the backbone storage for the cloud server 205 is preferreddespite its high cost due to the reduced latency that is required and/orpreferred for rendering diet plans, recipe recommendations, shoppinglist updates, etc. For example, when a user is accessing a recipe via auser interface of the refrigerator 225 in Helsinki, there is no need toretrieve recipe details from a hard drive in San Francisco that wouldhamper food preparation experience. Instead the recipe information ispulled from a Flash storage in Munich, Hamina or Stockholm, where thepan-global server farms with flash based capabilities might be located.

The user terminal device 215 may be configured as a mobile terminalcomputer, typically a smartphone and/or a tablet that is used to sendimages of the food items 259 to the refrigerator 225, receive shoppinglist of deficient food items from the refrigerator 225, etc. The userterminal device 215 is typically a mobile smartphone, such as iOS,Android or a Windows Phone smartphone.

However, it is also possible that the user terminal device 215 is amobile station, mobile phone or a computer, such as a PC-computer, AppleMacintosh—computer, PDA—device (Personal Digital Assistant), orUMTS—(Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), GSM—(Global System forMobile Telecommunications), WAP—(Wireless Application Protocol),Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS—(General Packet Radio Service),CDMA—(Code Division Multiple Access), GPS—(Global Positioning System),3G-, 4G-, Bluetooth-, WLAN—(Wireless Local Area Network), Wi-Fi and/orWCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access)—mobile station. Sometimesin some embodiments the user terminal device 215 is a device that has anoperating system such as any of the following: Microsoft Windows,Windows NT, Windows CE, Windows Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, GEOS, PalmOS, Meego, Mac OS, iOS, Linux, BlackBerry OS,

Google Android and/or Symbian or any other computer or smart phoneoperating system.

The refrigerator 225 and the user terminal device 215 communicate withthe cloud server 205 via the network 220. The network 220 used for thecommunication in the invention is the wireless or wireline Internet orthe telephony network, which is typically a cellular network such asUMTS—(Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), GSM—(Global System forMobile Telecommunications), GPRS—(General Packet Radio Service),CDMA—(Code Division Multiple Access), 3G-, 4G-, Wi-Fi and/or WCDMA(Wideband Code Division Multiple Access)—network.

The refrigerator 225 comprises at least one light 230, 231, 232, or 233,at least one camera 235, 236, 237, or 238, and the GPU 240. Therefrigerator 225 comprises multiple shelves configured to storedifferent varieties of the food items 259 therein. The food items 259may comprise, for example, apples 245, bread 246, eggs 247, broccoli248, carrots 249, tomatoes 250, oranges 251, chicken 252, milk cartons253, mayonnaise 254, butter 255, a fruit juice pack 256, French dressing257, fish 258, etc. The refrigerator 225 may comprise more than onelight, for example, 230, 231, 232, 233, etc. In an embodiment, thelights 230, 231, 232, or 233 may be fixed at a suitable position to aninternal wall 265 of the refrigerator 225. In another embodiment, theinternal wall 265 is a transparent wall such that light emerges from theinternal wall 265 to illuminate the inside of the refrigerator 225. Inan example implementation, each shelf of the refrigerator 225 isilluminated with at least one light 230, 231, 232, 233 as depicted inFIG. 2A, such that each food item 259 present in the shelf isilluminated by the light 230, 231, 232, or 233. The light 230, 231, 232,or 233 may be, for example, a halogen lamp, a fluorescent lamp, a metalhalide lamp, an electrodeless lamp, an LED, an incandescent bulb, alight bulb, etc.

In an example implementation, the light 230, 231, 232, or 233 isconfigured to remain in an illuminating state when a door of therefrigerator 225 is closed. In another example implementation, the light230, 231, 232, or 233 is activated periodically and the camera 235, 236,237, or 238 is configured to capture images of the food items 259synchronously with the activation of the light 230, 231, 232, or 233. Inan example, the light 230, 231, 232, or 233 may be activated in a periodof seconds, minutes, hours, days, etc. The activation period of thelight 230, 231, 232, or 233 may be programmed into the refrigeratorsystem 200 or may be manually programmed by the user. For example, atimer interface (not shown) may be displayed on the display screen 260of the refrigerator 225 to allow the user to set a timer for theactivation of the light 230, 231, 232, or 233 and/or the camera 235,236, 237, or 238. In another example, the timer interface may beaccessible on the user terminal device 215.

At least one internal wall 265 of the refrigerator 225 accommodates thecamera 235, 236, 237, or 238. In an example implementation, each shelfof the refrigerator 225 has the camera 235, 236, 237, or 238 affixed toan internal wall 265 of the shelf, as depicted in FIG. 2A. The camera235, 236, 237, or 238 may be, for example, a pinhole camera, a digitalcamera, a remote camera, a lipstick camera, cameras with CMOS sensors,cameras with CCD sensors, etc.

In an embodiment, the refrigerator 225 comprises a control unit (notshown). In an example implementation, the control unit comprises the GPU240, a central processing unit (CPU) 290, a memory unit, a communicationinterface, etc. Although the invention is described hereinafter withreference to the CPU 290 performing some computer programs and/orinstructions and the GPU 210/ 240 performing some computer programsand/or instructions, it is to be understood that both the CPU 290 andthe GPU 210/ 240 may be used interchangeably to perform differentcomputer programs and/or instructions within the scope of the invention.

The GPU 210 or 240 may refer to an electronic circuit designed tomanipulate and alter computer graphics, images, and memory to acceleratethe creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to adisplay. GPUs are used in embedded systems, mobile phones, personalcomputers, workstations, game consoles, etc. The GPU 210 or 240 may beselected, for example, from AMD GPUs, Nvidia GPUs, Intel GPUs, IntelGMA, Larrabee, Nvidia PureVideo, SoC, etc. However, here in thisinvention GPU images are typically not outputted for display on ascreen, rather the images are used to extract data of food articles inthe images in alphanumeric form.

The CPU 290 may refer to any one or more microprocessors, finite statemachines, computers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, logic,a logic device, an electronic circuit, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), achip, etc., or any combination thereof, capable of executing computerprograms or a series of commands, instructions, or state transitions.The CPU 290 may also be implemented as a processor set comprising, forexample, a general purpose microprocessor and a math or graphicsco-processor. The CPU 290 may be selected, for example, from the Intel®processors such as the Itanium® microprocessor or the Pentium®processors, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD®) processors such as the Athlon®processor, UltraSPARC® processors, microSPARC™ processors, HP®processors, International Business Machines (IBM®) processors such asthe PowerPC® microprocessor, the MIPS® reduced instruction set computer(RISC) processor of MIPS Technologies, Inc., RISC based computerprocessors of ARM Holdings, Motorola® processors, etc. The control unitdisclosed herein is not limited to employing the CPU 290. The controlunit may also employ a controller or a microcontroller and otherelectronics components.

The memory unit is used for storing programs, applications, data, etc.The memory unit is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or anothertype of dynamic storage device that stores information and instructionsfor execution by the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290. The memory unit alsostores temporary variables and other intermediate information usedduring execution of the instructions by the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU290. The control unit may further comprise a read only memory (ROM) oranother type of static storage device that stores static information andinstructions for the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290.

In an embodiment, the GPU 240 is installed in the refrigerator 225. Inthis embodiment, the results of the analysis are stored in the localmemory unit of the refrigerator 225 and may also be transmitted to thecloud server 205 via the network 220 to be stored in the cloud database.In another embodiment, the GPU 240 is a stand-alone card communicativelycoupled to the CPU 290. In another embodiment, the GPU 240 and the CPU290 are integrated in a single chipset.

In an embodiment, the refrigerator 225 is a stand-alone system that doesnot communicate with the cloud server 205. The camera 235, 236, 237, or238 takes an image of the food items 259 stored in the refrigerator 225.The image may be stored in a data file in the local memory unit of therefrigerator 225. The GPU 240 analyses the image to recognize foodquantity, quality and/or kind of the food items 259 from the image byusing the deep learning data files and/or by performing a visual search.The images captured by the cameras 235, 236, 237, and/or 238, the deeplearning data files, deep learning data sets and models, reciperecommendations, diet plans, shopping lists, etc., are stored in thelocal memory unit. In an embodiment, the deep learning data files, thedeep learning data sets and models may be periodically updated when therefrigerator 225 is connected to an external computer (for example, aserver) or an external storage device via the Internet. The update maybe performed during maintenance of the refrigerator 225. In an exampleimplementation, the control unit of the refrigerator 225 may beconnected to the Internet via the network 220 or via a separate network(not shown) such as Wi-Fi to receive the update.

In another embodiment, the GPU 210 is integrated with the cloud server205. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 225 sends the captured imagesto the cloud server 205 via the network 220. The cloud GPU 210 analysesthe images and the cloud server 205 transmits the results of theanalysis to the refrigerator 225 via the network 220 to be displayed viathe user interface. In some embodiments, the cloud GPU 210 is configuredto receive images from multiple refrigerators 225, 226, 227, 228, etc.The GPU 210 analyses the images for multiple refrigerators 225, 226,227, 228, and the cloud server 205 sends the information concerning theidentified contents to each refrigerator 225, 226, 227, or 228, so thatthere is no need for every refrigerator 225, 226, 227, and/or 228 tohave an individual GPU 240. By sharing the GPU 210 in the cloud, the useof the GPU 210 is maximised and there is only a fractional cost of theGPU 210 to distribute to each refrigerator 225, 226, 227, and 228.

In some embodiments the refrigerator 225 may have one or multiple GPUs,or may be supported by one or multiple GPUs in the cloud server 205, orboth. For example, in one embodiment, certain types of images e.g., lowlight are distributed to one GPU and different types of images e.g.,high intensity light are distributed to another GPU trained inprocessing high light intensity images. The image processing tasks canalso be distributed among GPU 240 or GPUs in the refrigerator 225 and aGPU 210 or GPUs in the cloud server 205. For example, easily processedimages could be processed in the GPU 240 of the refrigerator 225 andmore difficult images could be sent to the cloud server 205 forprocessing by more developed GPUs.

Each camera 235, 236, 237, 238 is configured to capture images of thefood items 259 stored in each shelf of the refrigerator 225. The imagesare stored in data files. The data files may be stored in digital and/oranalog form. In an embodiment, the data files are stored in the localmemory unit of the refrigerator 225. In another embodiment, the datafiles are sent to the cloud server 205 via the network 220 to be storedin a cloud database or other data storage system.

The GPU 210 or 240 is configured to analyse the images. In anembodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 may employ deep learning techniquesalone, for example, deep neural networks, convolutional deep neuralnetworks, deep belief networks, recurrent neural networks, etc., foridentifying the food items 259 from the images. In another embodiment,the GPU 210 or 240 may use conventional image analysis techniques suchas, object recognition, image segmentation, optical characterrecognition, object-based image analysis, feature extraction, etc., torecognize a food quantity, a food quality, a food type, etc., from theimages. Food type is typically determined by visual recognition, thattypically uses artificial intelligence as explained in this application.Food quantity is typically determined by finding out the spatial size ofthe food article from photographs taken form different angles, and usinga known density for the recognised food type of the food article. Foodquality, for example staleness is typically determined by observing thecolour and size of the food article over time by recording video or timeseries photos. As food articles become stale, they typically changetheir colour, and change dimensions e.g. collapse in height. Thesevisual changes can be recognised by the GPU from the photographsrecorded over time. In another embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 mayperform visual search alone based on the image by using image or textquery terms to recognize the food items 259.

In a preferred embodiment the GPU 210 or 240 may employ both deeplearning techniques and the visual search technique in combination torecognize the food items 259. Most preferably the GPU 210 or 240 mayemploy the deep learning technique as a primary method and the visualsearch technique as a secondary method for recognizing the food items259.

The refrigerator 225 comprises a display screen 260. The display screen260, via a graphical user interface (GUI) displays information, displayinterfaces, user interface elements such as text fields, checkboxes,text boxes, windows, etc., for allowing the user to view and access dietplans, recipe recommendations, shopping lists, manually update contentsof the refrigerator 225, etc. The display screen 260 comprises, forexample, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic lightemitting diode (OLED) based display, etc. In an embodiment, an inputdevice may be provided to allow the user to input data via the GUI. Forexample, the user may input personal diet preferences, allergies to thefood items 259, provide images of savouries, etc., using the inputdevice. The input device may be, for example, a microphone, a touch pad,a light pen, a physical button, a touch sensitive display device, atrack ball, any device capable of sensing a tactile input, etc. Theaforementioned data may also be inputted by mobile phone or computer insome embodiments, for example with a smartphone app, or a computerapplication.

Any features of embodiment 20 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 70, 80, 81,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2B demonstrates an embodiment 21 of a software program product userinterface 270, 275, 280, or 285 implemented in a user terminal device215, in accordance with the invention as a screen shot diagram. Thiscould be for example displayed on a display screen 261 of a tablet or asmartphone. In another example, the software program product userinterface 270, 275, 280, or 285 may be displayed on a screen on a frontdoor of the refrigerator 225. The refrigerator system 200 behind theuser interface 270, 275, 280, or 285 could be e.g. embodiment 20, 60,and 70 explained with respect to FIG. 2A, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7,respectively.

The software program product is stored on a non-transient memory mediumon at least one of the refrigerator 225, the cloud server 205, and theuser terminal device 215. The software program product may also bedistributed between the refrigerator 225, the cloud server 205, and theuser terminal device 215, so that some parts of the software programproduct reside on the refrigerator 225, and/or some parts of thesoftware program product reside on the cloud server 205, and/or someparts of the software program product reside on the user terminal device215.

The user terminal device 215 provides an application 263 to allow theuser to access images of contents of the refrigerator 225, view shoppinglists, recipes recommendations, diet plans, etc. Preferably the userdownloads the application 263 from the Internet, or from various appstores that are available from Google, Apple, Facebook and/or Microsoft.For example, in some embodiments an iPhone user with a Facebookapplication on his phone will download the application 263 that iscompatible with both the Apple and Facebook developer requirements.Similarly, a customized application 263 can be produced for otherdifferent handsets.

The user logs into the application 263 installed in the user terminaldevice 215 via a user interface (not shown). The application 263 allowsthe user with access to the refrigerator system 200. The application 263may be downloaded by the user from an application store such as GooglePlay Store, Apple iTunes, etc. or from a website of a provider deployingthe refrigerator system 200. In an example implementation, the user maysend images of food items from his/her social networking application 270such as, Instagram.

The user may capture an image 262 of a pizza the user had for dinner atan Italian restaurant using a camera of the user terminal device 215.The user may upload the image 262 to his/her Instagram account. Theapplication 263 may be integrated with the user's Instagram application270 such that the image 262 may be sent to the GPU 210 or 240 via thenetwork 220. The GPU 210 and/or 240 recognizes an image of any fooditem, for example, the image 262 of the pizza stored in the application270. The GPU 210 and/or 240 recognizes the image 262 to be of a smokedsalmon pizza by using the deep learning algorithm and/or any imagerecognition technique employed by the refrigerator system 200 asexplained in the detailed description of FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C.The GPU 210 and/or 240 extracts information associated with the image262 such as, ingredients of the pizza, number of servings per pizza, anda recipe for preparing the smoked salmon pizza, etc., by using the image262, parts of the image 262, or recipe name as query terms to search theInternet. For example, once the GPU 210 and/or 240 recognizes the image262 to be of the smoked salmon pizza, the CPU 290 searches the Internetfor recipe details, ingredient information, etc. The CPU 290 extractsthe information from the Internet and displays the extracted informationon the user interface 275.

In another example implementation, the application 263 is integratedwith another social networking application 280 such as, Facebook. TheCPU 290 sends information of the food items 259 present in therefrigerator 225 to the application 263 installed on the user terminaldevice 215 via the network 220. The application 263 posts the foodinformation on the user's wall of the Facebook application 280. Theuser's fitness trainer who can view the user's posts on the application280 views the food information and provides comments, for example,suggests healthier food items 259 that the user should have to maintainfitness. For example, the post depicts that the user's refrigerator 225contains burger buns, pasta sauce, pasta, etc., which the trainerconsiders unfit for the user's health. The trainer comments on theuser's post to switch to oats, salmon, avocado, and carrots instead. Theapplication 263 extracts the trainer's comment from the user's Facebookapplication 280 and sends it to the CPU 290. The CPU 290 updates theshopping list generated by the CPU 290. The changed shopping list isdisplayed to the user for approval via the user interface 285. If theuser approves the suggested items and pays for the items in cart, theCPU 290 sends the shopping list to a grocer. The CPU 290 stores thetrainer's suggested items for future reference such that the nextiteration of shopping list also contains all or some of the suggestedfood items 259. Also, it is possible for example that all members of thefamily log on to access data of the contents of the refrigerator andshare data via a social network or otherwise. In this embodimentdifferent family members can contribute individually for example to thenext shopping list.

Any features of embodiment 21 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 20, 30, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 70, 80, 81,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 3 demonstrates an embodiment 30 of a software program product userinterface 300, 305, 310, or 315 in accordance with the invention as ascreen shot diagram. This could be displayed for example on a displayscreen 260 on a front door of the refrigerator 225. In another examplenot depicted in FIG. 3, the software program product user interface 300,305, 310, or 315 may be displayed on the screen 261 of a tablet or asmartphone. The refrigerator system 200 behind the user interface 300,305, 310, or 315 could be e.g. embodiment 20, 60, and 70 explained withrespect to FIG. 2A, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, respectively.

The software program product is stored on a non-transient memory mediumon at least one of the refrigerator 225, the cloud server 205, and theuser terminal device 215. The software program product may also bedistributed between the refrigerator 225, the cloud server 205, and theuser terminal device 215, so that some parts of the software programproduct reside on the refrigerator 225, some parts of the softwareprogram product reside on the cloud server 205, and some parts of thesoftware program product reside on the user terminal device 215.

The software program product is operable with the refrigerator 225, thecloud server 205 and/or the user terminal device 215 via the network220. Typically, the user terminal device 215 and the refrigerator 225are configured to have an application (for example, the application 263of the user terminal device 215) installed that allows the user toaccess the diet plans, the shopping lists, the recommended recipes, etc.The application user interface could be the user interface 300, 305,310, or 315 of the aforementioned application 263. In an example, theapplication 263 may be configured as a virtual reality softwareapplication that provides a touch sensitive interface for allowing theuser to access the diet plans, the shopping lists, the recommendedrecipes, or provide food preferences, etc.

Consider an example where a consumer places a week's grocery in therefrigerator 225. Vegetables such as, broccoli, avocado, tomato,zucchini, carrots, onions, ginger, etc., are placed on one shelf of therefrigerator 225. Similarly, fruits such as, oranges, apple, grapes,etc., are placed on another shelf; and meat, poultry, and seafood itemssuch as, chicken, fish, salmon, eggs, etc., are placed on another shelf.Packaged items such as, fresh cream, milk cartons, fresh juice packs,butter, cheese, etc., are placed on a side shelf of the refrigerator225. Water bottles, beverages, alcoholic drinks, etc., may be placed onanother side shelf of the refrigerator 225. Each shelf of therefrigerator 225 is equipped with a built-in camera 235, 236, 237, or238 and an LED light 230, 231, 232, or 233 positioned on a side wall ofthe respective shelves. Each time refrigerator doors close, the light230, 231, 232, or 233 illuminates a shelf where the light 230, 231, 232,or 233 is placed. The cameras 235, 236, 237, and 238 may capture imagesof the food items 259 in each shelf periodically such as every hour. Thecaptured images are displayed on the user interface 300.

In an embodiment, the cloud GPU 210 receives the images from multiplerefrigerators 225, 226, 227, and/or 228, and the cloud GPU 210 analysesthe images to recognize the food items 259 present in the refrigerators225, 226, 227, and/or 228, so that there is no need for everyrefrigerator 225, 226, 227, and/or 228 to have an individual GPU 240.Hence, the refrigerators 225, 226, 227, and/or 228 are made economicalwith reduced memory requirement and efficient processing capabilities asthe usage of the cloud GPU 210 is maximised.

The GPU 210 or 240 processes and analyses the images using deep learningtechniques such as, deep neural networks, convolutional deep neuralnetworks, deep belief networks, recurrent neural networks, etc., torecognize the food items 259 present in the refrigerator 225 and extractinformation associated with the food items 259.

In an embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 may process and analyze the imagesusing image analysis techniques such as object identification, visualsearches by using image query terms or query text terms, OCR methods,etc., to recognize the food items 259 present in the refrigerator 225and extract information associated with the food items 259. Theinformation associated with the food items 259 such as, an expiry date,quantity, name and type of food, weight, calorie information, etc., aredisplayed in the user interface 305. In an embodiment, based on therecognized food items 259 the CPU 290 may suggest recipes to the uservia a user interface 310. For example, on recognizing that chicken,tomato, onions, ginger, etc., are present in the refrigerator 225 theCPU 290 may recommend a chicken curry recipe to the user. The CPU 290may use names, images, or parts of images of the recognized food items259 as query terms to search for recipes from the Internet or a clouddatabase.

In an embodiment, the CPU 290 may determine deficiencies in the fooditems 259 based on pre-fed grocery preferences of the user. For example,the CPU 290 has access to pre-stored data associated with the user'sgrocery list for a week. In some embodiments this list is configured torotate or “Shuffle” in order to introduce some random variability to theweekly menu, similar to how computer generated playlists introducevariability to background music within some limits. The GPU 210 or 240and/or the CPU 290 compares the images of the food items 259 present inthe refrigerator 225 with the grocery list to determine the food items259 missing from the refrigerator 225. The CPU 290 updates a shoppinglist with details such as, a name, a type, a quantity, etc., of thedeficient food items 259. The updated shopping list is displayed in theuser interface 315, and can be sent to the grocer also for purchase anddelivery in some embodiments.

Any features of embodiment 30 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 70, 80, 81,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4A demonstrates another embodiment 40 of a more elaborate methodfor identifying the food items 259 present in the refrigerator 225, inaccordance with the invention as a flow diagram. The method could beimplemented in a system identical or similar to embodiment 20, 60, and70 in FIG. 2A, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 for example. The end-user of themethod could use a user interface identical or similar to that disclosedwith embodiment 21, 30, 80, 81, 90, 92, and 94 in FIG. 2B, FIG. 3, FIG.8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 9, FIG. 10B, and FIG. 11B.

In phase 400, the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 receives data files fromthe cloud server 205. In an embodiment, the data files are deep learningdata files configured to facilitate recognition of the food items 259 bythe GPU 210 or 240 from the image of the food items 259. One embodimentof the process of recognizing the food items 259 using the deep learningdata files is explained in the description of FIG. 4B.

In an embodiment, in phase 402 a visual search is conducted on an imagecaptured by the camera 235, 236, 237, or 238 of the food items 259contained in the refrigerator 225. One embodiment of recognizing thefood items 259 using the visual search technique is explained in detailin the description of FIG. 4C. The visual search may include opticalidentification such as identifying information associated with aquantity, a quality, or a kind of the food items 259 by scanning QRcode, an OCR code, an RFID tag, a bar code, etc. Also, in one embodimentthe visual search may involve searching the Internet or a database withthe captured image, or a part of the captured image as a query term in avisual search index process. In this search process, the query image iscompared to an index of result images or a reservoir of result imagesand the images that have the highest relevance to the query involvingthe captured image are returned as search results. In anotherembodiment, in phase 402 textual information printed on a food packagesuch as a bread packet 246 may be identified from the image. The textualinformation may be scanned or object character recognized (OCR) toidentify the information associated with the quantity, the quality, orthe kind of the food packages present in the image. The textualinformation may comprise, for example, a best before date, a quantity,calorie information, ingredients information, etc., printed on the foodpackages. A query involving an image query term and a query text term isalso in accordance with the invention. The different types of queryterms can be used in a mix, as described in the publication WO2011/020742 A1, from the current inventor, which is included here asreference.

In an embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 may employ only deep learningtechniques, for example, deep neural networks, convolutional deep neuralnetworks, deep belief networks, recurrent neural networks, etc., foridentifying the food items 259 from the images. In another embodiment,the GPU 210 or 240 may use conventional image analysis techniques suchas, object recognition, image segmentation, optical characterrecognition, object-based image analysis, feature extraction, etc., torecognize a food quantity, a food quality, a food type, etc., from theimages. In another embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 may perform onlyvisual search based on the image by using image or text query terms torecognize the food items 259. Preferably the GPU 210 or 240 may employboth deep learning techniques and the visual search technique torecognize the food items 259. Most preferably the GPU 210 or 240 mayemploy the deep learning technique as a primary method and the visualsearch technique as a secondary method for recognizing the food items259.

In phase 404, a best before date on the food packages is identified. Thebest before date is identified by the deep learning technique, thevisual search, the scanning of the textual information, or by using thesearch query terms or images. The recognized best before date is used incompiling a list of recipes for meals as a function of time in phase406. The list of recipes is compiled as a function of time to ensurethat maximum amount of food is consumed before the best before date ofthe food items 259 expires and/or to ensure that the more expensive fooditems 259 are consumed before expiry.

In phase 408, an in-built scale of the refrigerator 225 is used to weighthe food items 259. In an example implementation, the scale is installedin each shelf of the refrigerator 225 such that when any food item 259is placed in the refrigerator 225 the weight of the food item 259 may bemeasured simultaneously. Further, a device such as a trolley isinstalled in the refrigerator 225 to facilitate movement of the fooditems 259 inside the refrigerator 225 in phase 410. In an example, thetrolley may move in a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction to placea food item 259 in a front section of the refrigerator 225 that may beeasily accessible by the user. Hence, the user need not dig into therefrigerator 225 for searching for any food item 259. The trolley maypresent the food in the order of the recipe list in some embodiments.

In phase 412, the refrigerator system 200 receives images of meals withthe food items of the kind 259 present in the meal from the userterminal device 215 used by the user, or from user terminals of othermembers of a social group authorised to send images to the refrigeratorsystem 200. For example, the user takes an image of an apple sandwich.The images may be received by the GPU 240 and/or CPU 290 integrated inthe refrigerator 225 or the GPU 210 integrated in the cloud server 205.This allows the user to inform the refrigerator system 200 about themeals the user has had. In some embodiments the cloud GPU 210 isconfigured to receive images from multiple refrigerators 225, 226, 227,and/or 228, and the cloud GPU 210 analyses the images for multiplerefrigerators 225, 226, 227, and/or 228, and sends the informationconcerning the identified contents to each refrigerator 225, 226, 227,and/or 228, so that there is no need for every refrigerator 225, 226,227, and/or 228 to have an individual GPU 240.

The GPU 210 or 240 analyses the received image and recognizes a foodquantity, a quality, and/or a kind from the image in phase 414. The GPU210 or 240 sends the information about the food quality, quantity and/orthe type to the CPU 290. In phase 416, the CPU 290 uses the foodquantity, quality and/or kind from the image to compute a changed recipelist. In phase 418, the CPU 290 may send the changed recipe list to theuser terminal device 215. For example, the user may send an image of apizza to the refrigerator system 200 to indicate that the user ate apizza for lunch on a given day. The GPU 210 or 240 analyzes the imageand identifies that the user had pizza for lunch. The GPU 210 or 240also identifies the ingredients, calorie information, recipeinformation, etc., from the image. The CPU 290 determines that the userwas about to have pizza for dinner based on the diet plan stored in therefrigerator 225, the user terminal device 215, or the cloud server 205.The CPU 290 changes the recipe list for dinner so that the user does noteat pizza for dinner too. The CPU 290 may instead suggest roast chickenwith bread for dinner. The CPU 290 sends the updated recipe list to theuser terminal device 215.

FIG. 4B demonstrates an embodiment 41 of a method of using a deeplearning algorithm to identify the food items 259 present in therefrigerator 225, in accordance with the invention as a diagram.

Consider an example of using convolutional neural networks (CNN) forrecognizing a food item such as an apple 245 stored in the refrigerator225. CNN refers to artificial neural networks that model visualperception by an animal or a human. The CNN algorithms may be employedfor image recognition tasks. The CNN comprises multiple layers ofreceptive fields that are small neuron collections configured to processportions of an input image. The output of each layer is successivelytiled such that the input regions overlap to obtain a representation ofthe original image. In an embodiment, a deep learning framework calledCaffe that uses C++, MATLAB, and Python programming languages is usedfor implementing the CNN. Caffe is a CNN library that is configured tosupport both CPU 290 and GPU operations. In this example, the GPU 210 or240 used by the refrigerator system 200 may be a NVIDIA GPU with 15 GBRAM.

A pre-defined dataset comprising, for example, 30000 images 422 and 424of apples and oranges is used as a training dataset for training thenetwork. The training dataset comprises labels associated with eachimage 422 or 424. In an example, the training dataset is downloaded fromKaggle which is a predictive modelling and analytics platform. Thelabelled images 422 and 424 are pre-processed and stored in a Pythonscript format.

In this example, the GPU 210/240 executes histogram equalization on thelabelled images 422 and 424 of the training dataset. Histogramequalization is a technique used to adjust image intensities by usingthe image's histogram features. Histogram equalization enhances contrastof the images 422 and 424. The images resulting after histogramequalization of the images 422 and 424 are illustrated by images 426 and428, respectively. The GPU 210/240 performs image resizing to resize theimages 426 and 428, for example, to a 227×227 format. The resultantimages are illustrated by images 430 and 432, respectively. Each image430 and 432 is labelled after performing the histogram equalization. Thetraining dataset is then divided into 2 subsets. First subset called thetraining set 434 comprises ⅚^(th) portion of the training images 430 and432 that are used for training a model. The second subset called thevalidation set 436 comprises ⅙^(th) portion of the training images 430and 432 that are used for calculating and validating accuracy of themodel. The subsets 434 and 436 are stored in the cloud database of thecloud server 205.

Features such as, histogram of oriented gradients (HoG), Scale-invariantfeature transform (SIFT), etc., of the images are extracted from thetraining images 430 and 432 by using a feature extraction software suchas, MATLAB. The extracted image features provide a description offeatures of an object present in an image 430 or 432 that are used inimage classification. Once the subsets 434 and 436 are created, the GPU210/240 generates the mean image for the training data. The GPU 210/240subtracts the mean image from each input image of the training set 434.The GPU 210/240 then performs feature standardization to make eachfeature in the dataset have a zero mean and a standard deviation of 1such that all image data features are normalized. Featurestandardization is used to ensure that measurement comparisons betweenfeatures that may have different units (such as audio signals and pixelvalues of the image data) are normalized. In feature standardization theimage features are centred on a zero mean with a standard deviationof 1. The mean image of the training set 434 is calculated. The meanimage is subtracted from each image in the training set 434. Theresulting value of each image is divided by its standard deviation. Theresulting value of each image feature is hence normalized and can befurther used for creating the training model.

The GPU 210/240 then defines the training model by selecting CNNarchitecture. In this example, the GPU 210/240 uses a CNN architecturemodel such as, Alexnet for defining the model. Alexnet is a CNNframework executed on GPUs implemented in CUDA. CUDA is a parallelcomputing platform and an application programming interface (API) modelcreated by Nvidia that can be used for general purpose processing alongwith graphics processing.

The model is then optimized using a solver algorithm. The solveralgorithm is a type of a stand-alone computer program or a softwarelibrary that is configured to optimize the training model by computingan accuracy of the model using the training dataset. The solveralgorithm computes the accuracy by iteratively using the validation set436. For example, the solver algorithm may use the validation set 436for every 1000 iterations in an optimization process of 40000 iterationsthat takes a snapshot of the trained model at every 5000^(th) iteration.

The GPU 210/240 then performs model training using the results of thesolver algorithm. During the training process, the GPU 210/240 monitorslosses and the model accuracy. In an example, Caffe takes a snapshot ofloss and model accuracy of the trained model at every 5000^(th)iteration. Then the GPU 210/240 plots a learning curve of the losses asa function of the number of iterations as depicted in the graph 438.Multiple iterations are performed until a steady-state accuracy rate isachieved. For example, as can be seen in the graph 438 the trained modelachieves an accuracy rate of about 90% that stops improving after about3000 iterations.

Once the trained model is ready, the GPU 210/240 starts predictingaccuracy of unseen images from a testing dataset downloaded from aKaggle platform. The GPU 210/240 reads an image from the testingdataset, processes the image, and calculates a probability of accuracy,for example, 0 for orange, and 1 for apple. For example, if an accuracyrate of 98% is achieved, that image is considered to be of an apple.

In one embodiment, the model is stored in the cloud database of thecloud server 205 which is accessible by the refrigerator 225 via thenetwork 220. In another embodiment, the model may be stored in the localmemory of the refrigerator 225. The GPU 210 and/or 240 analyses an inputimage 420 using the model. The image 420 is compared with the featuresof an apple stored in the model. The GPU 210 and/or 240 generates anoutput 440 that identifies the food item to be an apple 245 if thecomparison yields a high accuracy rate. In this example, the GPU 210and/or 240 identifies that the input image is of an apple that is brightgreen in colour. The GPU 210 and/or 240 identifies the apple 245 to be aGranny Smith apple. The CPU 290 may compare historical data associatedwith the apple 245 stored in the local memory of the refrigerator 225 orthe cloud server 205 to determine that the apple 245 is 3 days old.Hence, the CPU 290 may recommend the user to consume the apple 245within 5-10 days. In an embodiment, the apple 245 is placed on the scaleof the refrigerator 225. The scale weighs a weight of the apple 245 tobe 200 grams and the same is displayed as the output 440. In someembodiments the scale is substituted by determining the weight bydetermining the volume of the food article from photographs taken fromdifferent sides, and determining the type of the food article by visualrecognition and then using a known density of the food type to multiplythe volume and thereby derive the weight of the food article.

Although the example discussed herein is provided with reference tousing convolutional neural networks that uses the deep learningframework Caffe, C++, MATLAB, and Python programming languages, theNVIDIA GPU, the Kaggle dataset, and the Alexnet CNN architecture model,it is to be understood that the refrigerator system 200, in anotherembodiment, may be implemented using any other deep learning algorithmthat uses any other framework, programming language, GPU, dataset,and/or architecture model. The example included herein is described withreference to the publication “A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION TO DEEP LEARNINGWITH CAFFE AND PYTHON”, which is included here as a reference.

FIG. 4C demonstrates an embodiment 42 of a method for performing avisual search for recognizing the food items 259 present in therefrigerator 225, in accordance with the invention as a diagram.

In an example implementation, the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 uses animage of a food item such as, a milk carton 253 captured by the camera235, 236, 237, or 238 for performing the visual search. The GPU 210 or240 and/or CPU 290 searches the Internet with the image of the milkcarton 253. The query terms 442 used for the visual search may compriseparts of the image such as, the image of the milk carton 253, an imageportion depicting a brand name of the milk carton 253, an image portiondepicting a cow, an image portion depicting a glass, etc. The queryterms 442 may also comprise text terms extracted from the image such as,milk, fat free, vitamin A and D, chocolate flavour, etc. The GPU 210 or240 may identify the text terms, for example, by using OCR technique. Inan embodiment, the different types of query terms 442 can be used in amix, as described in the publication WO 2011/020742 A1, from the currentinventor, which is included here as reference.

The search index 444 may be created by using the images, location of theimages on the Internet, HTML title tags that indicate a title of acorresponding web page, HTML alt attributes that indicate an alternativetext to be displayed when the image is not rendered, etc. In anembodiment, the search index 444 may be a proprietary database of searchindices stored in the cloud server 205. In another embodiment, thesearch index 444 may be created using historical data associated withprevious searches conducted on the food items 259 contained in therefrigerator 225. For example, the CPU 290 may create a search indexbased on search conducted on images of the food items 259 of therefrigerator taken 3 days ago. In this embodiment, the search index 444may be stored in the local memory unit of the refrigerator 225. In yetanother embodiment, the search index 444 may be a proprietary searchdatabase that accessed by the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 via theInternet.

The GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 compares the query terms 442 with thesearch index 444 to identify matching images or text with a highrelevancy probability. The relevancy may be determined based on, forexample, freshness of an image, a region associated with the queryimage, PageRank result that is an algorithm used to rank websitesrelevant to the query image, etc. The GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290retrieve and rank the images and/or text documents 446 from the Internetor any search database based on the relevancy. The GPU 210 or 240 and/orCPU 290 determine the most relevant result and display the image andproduct information with the highest relevancy probability as the searchresult 448 for the milk carton 253. Information pertaining to the milkcarton 253 is also displayed such as, ingredient information, weight,calorie information, product name, etc. In an embodiment, the milkcarton 253 may be placed on an in-built scale of the refrigerator 225for weighing weight of the milk carton 253. The determined weight, forexample, 1 litre is displayed in the search result 448. In anembodiment, the CPU 290 may compare historical data associated with themilk carton 253 stored in the local memory of the refrigerator 225 orthe cloud server 205. Based on the comparison, the CPU 290 determinesthat the milk carton 253 was placed in the refrigerator 225 two days agoand needs to be consumed within 3 days. Hence, the CPU 290 may recommendthe user to consume the milk carton 253 within 2-3 days.

In an embodiment, the CPU 290 may use the ingredient information, theproduct name, the parts of the image, etc., as query terms 442 to searchfor recipes that may be prepared using the identified food item, i.e.the milk carton 253. For example, “whole milk” and “chocolate flavour”from the derived product information may be used as query terms. Thequery terms are compared with the search index to generate a list ofrelevant search results. The CPU 290 analyse the results to retrieve themost relevant recipe recommendations (not shown) using the milk product253 such as, chocolate milk shake recipe, yogurt recipe, chocolate icecream recipe, etc.

Any features of embodiment 40, 41, and/or 42 may be readily combined orpermuted with any of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 50, 60, 70,80, 81, 90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 demonstrates another embodiment 50 of a more elaborate method forusing the identified food items 259 in controlling and adjusting thediet of the user, in accordance with the invention as a flow diagram.The method could be implemented in a system identical or similar toembodiment 20, 60, and 70 in FIG. 2A, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 for example.The end-user of the method could use a user interface identical orsimilar to that disclosed with embodiment 21, 30, 80, 81, 90, 92, and 94in FIG. 2B, FIG. 3, FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 9, FIG. 10B, and FIG. 11B.

In phase 500, the information derived from the analysis of the imagesconcerning the food quantity, the quality, and/or the kind is used incontrolling and/or advising on the diet of the user. For example, theGPU 210 or 240 and/or the CPU 290 determine that a 100 gm pack of peanutbutter 255 has 588 calories and a 100 gm pack of mayonnaise 254 has 680calories from the analysis. The CPU 290 recommends the user to havepeanut butter spread 255 for a sandwich for breakfast against the user'sstored preference for mayonnaise 254 in the sandwich.

In phase 505, the derived information concerning the food quantity,quality and/or kind is used in identifying deficiencies in the contentsof the refrigerator 225. The identified deficiencies are used inupdating a shopping list in phase 510. The shopping list may be directlysent to a food delivery agent, for example, a grocery shop that provideshome delivery. The details of the food delivery agent such as, name,store location, contact information, web page, etc., are stored in thememory of the refrigerator 225 or in the cloud server 205. For example,the derived information suggests that quantity of milk 253 has reducedto 100 ml as opposed to 1 liter quantity as pre-stored in the memoryunit of the refrigerator 225. The CPU 290 updates the shopping list with1 liter of milk 253. The user may select the option of 1 liter milk 253via the user interface 315 on the display screen 260 of the refrigerator225 or via the user interface on the user terminal device 215. In anexample, the user interface 315 is a user interface of the application263.

The user proceeds to payment for the food items 259 present in theshopping list via a payment gateway. The user enters credit card detailsto complete the payment. Alternately, the application 263 installed onthe user terminal device 215 stores the user's credit card details anduses the stored credit card details to complete the payment. The groceryshop receives the payment. Once the payment is successful, the CPU 290sends the shopping list to a server of the grocery shop that arrangesfor the home delivery at the user's preferred time. The grocery shopserver acquires and packages the food items 259 mentioned in theshopping list. In an example, the food items 259 are collected andpackaged manually by grocery shop personnel. In another example, thefood items 259 are prepared for delivery by a robot programmed to scanthe shopping list, collect the food items 259 from respective aisles ofthe grocery shop, and package the food items 259 for delivery. The fooddelivery agent delivers the food items 259 to the user's address alongwith a printed receipt. The user can scan the printed receipt via theapplication 263 installed on the user terminal device 215 and send theprinted receipt to the refrigerator 225. The printed receipt is storedin the memory unit of the refrigerator 225.

Once the refrigerator 225 is replenished with the delivered food items259, the camera 235, 236, 237, or 238 captures an image of an inside ofthe refrigerator 225. The GPU 210 or 240 compares the captured imagewith a previous image of the refrigerator 225 taken before thereplenishment. The GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 verify whether the fooditems 259 mentioned in the receipt are present in the refrigerator 225.In an example implementation, the CPU 290 may compare the receipt withthe shopping list to verify whether the food items 259 mentioned in theshopping list are delivered to the user, and/or whether any food item259 mentioned in the shopping list is missing from the receipt.

If the CPU 290 determines that any food item 259 mentioned in thereceipt is missing from the refrigerator 225 or any food item 259mentioned in the shopping list is not present in the receipt, the CPU290 sends an alert notification to the user terminal device 215. The CPU290 may also display the alert notification on the display screen 260.

If the CPU 290 determines that an additional food item 259 that is notmentioned in the receipt is present in the refrigerator 225 or anyadditional food item 259 that is not mentioned in the shopping list butis mentioned in the receipt, the CPU 290 displays an alert notificationto the user terminal device 215 and/or on the display screen 260notifying the user of a possible wrong delivery of the food items 259.

In addition to an alert, it is in accordance with the invention for therefrigerator system to take corrective actions, which may be any of thefollowing: Notification to the grocer of the delivery of an unordereditem, re-ordering a missing item from the grocer, request forreimbursement of payment for a missing item from the grocer, a furtherpayment for an item mentioned on the shopping list, but absent from thepayment receipt.

In phase 515, the derived information concerning the food quantity,quality and/or kind is used in identifying at least one recipe(s) for ameal that could be implemented with the food. For example, the GPU 210or 240 identifies that 500 gm of salmon fish fillets 258 expiring in 2days are present in the refrigerator 225. Based upon this information,the CPU 290 recommends the user to prepare smoked salmon for dinner andalso provide a recipe for the same.

In phase 520, a series of recipes for meals are identified that could beimplemented with the food based upon, for example, minimisation of foodwastage, maximisation of diet variety as a function of time, andmaximisation of the healthiness of diet. For example, if the GPU 210 or240 determines that chicken 252 in the refrigerator 225 may expire in 2days, the CPU 290 may suggest preparing chicken curry for dinner therebyminimising food wastage. In another example, if the GPU 210 or 240determines that various food items 259 such as chicken 252, broccoli248, carrots 249, fish 258, potatoes, bread 246, burger buns, and eggs247 are present in the refrigerator 225, the CPU 290 prepares a dietplan for the user using the aforementioned ingredients. The diet planmay include for example, for Monday bread with eggs for breakfast,chicken curry with rice for lunch, and fish fillets with egg salad fordinner, for Tuesday beetroot salad for breakfast, egg salad withvegetables for lunch, and fish fry with rice for dinner, and so on.Hence, the CPU 290 recommends a diet plan that is healthy and providesdiet variety to the user. In another example, if the GPU 210 or 240identifies that French dressing 257 and mayonnaise 254 are present inthe refrigerator 225, the CPU 290 may suggest to use French dressing 257as a salad dressing over mayonnaise 254 to ensure lesser calorie intakeif it is known that the French dressing 257 has a smaller caloriecontent per weight or volume unit. Further, as and when the GPU 210 or240 recognizes by analysing the captured images that the user isfollowing the recommended recipe by removing suggested ingredients fromthe refrigerator 225, the CPU 290 simultaneously updates the shoppinglist. For example, on Monday morning the GPU 210 or 240 recognizes thatquantity of bread 246 and eggs 247 has reduced and the CPU 290 updatesthe shopping list with bread and eggs, thereby ensuring that bread andeggs are available for next meal preparation. In some embodiments of theinvention the shopping list submission frequency is optimised by usingthe delivery cost and freshness and variety of food articles asparameters.

Any features of embodiment 50 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42, 60, 70, 80, 81,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 6 demonstrates another embodiment 60 of a more elaboraterefrigerator system 200 for identifying the food items 259 present inthe refrigerator 225, in accordance with the invention as a blockdiagram.

The cameras 235, 236, 237, and/or 238 capture images of the food items259. In an embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 recognizes the food items 259by using deep learning algorithms as explained in the detaileddescription of FIG. 4B. In another embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240performs a visual search on the captured image as explained in thedetailed description of FIG. 4C. Preferably the GPU 210 or 240 mayemploy both deep learning techniques and the visual search technique torecognize the food items 259. Most preferably the GPU 210 or 240 mayemploy the deep learning technique as a primary method and the visualsearch technique as a secondary method for recognizing the food items259. In an embodiment, the cloud GPU 210 is configured to receive imagesfrom multiple refrigerators 225, 226, 227, and/or 228, and the cloud GPU210 performs a visual search on the images received from multiplerefrigerators 225, 226, 227, and/or 228, thereby providing a maximisedand a processing efficient GPU usage and reduced memory requirement perrefrigerator 225, 226, 227, and/or 228.

In some embodiments, the visual search may comprise opticalidentification of OCR codes, RFID tags, or bar codes on the foodpackages such as milk cartons 253, juice packs 256, etc. For example,the GPU 210 or 240 scans a bar code on a food package such as a milkcarton 253, to identify a best before date, nutritional information,quantity of milk, etc. In another embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240identifies a text in the image, for example, an expiry date, calorieinformation, etc., printed on the food package such as a bread packet246. The GPU 210 or 240 identifies the text by scanning or using OCRtechnique. In an example, the GPU 210 or 240 scans textual informationon a bread packet 246 to identify a best before date, a net weight,nutritional information, a price, etc. In an example implementation, theCPU 290 compiles a list of recipes for meals as a function of time basedon the recognised best before dates. If the user implements the list ofrecipes suggested by the CPU 290 and consumes a maximum amount of foodbefore the best before dates, then no or minimal food wastage may beensured.

In an example, the GPU 210 or 240 may identify cost of a food item byscanning textual information printed on a package of the food item suchas, salmon fish 258. In an embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290is programmed to recommend expensive food items (for example, the salmonfish 258) to be consumed before the expiry date in order to avoidwastage of expensive food items.

Consider an example where the cameras 235, 236, 237, 238 capture imagesof the food items 259 of the refrigerator 225. The food items 259 maycomprise apples 245, bread 246, eggs 247, broccoli 248, carrots 249,tomatoes 250, chicken 252, milk 253, mayonnaise 254, etc. The GPU 210 or240 scans textual information on packages of bread 246, eggs 247, milk253, and mayonnaise 254 to identify that 1 packet of bread 246, 12 eggs247, 2 litres of toned milk 253, and 200 grams of mayonnaise 254 ispresent in the refrigerator 225.

In an embodiment, the refrigerator 225 has a scale 605 on a surface ofthe refrigerator 225. The scale 605 is used to weigh the food items 259.The scale 605 may be, for example, a digital scale or an analog scale.In an example implementation, the scale 605 is built-in in each shelf ofthe refrigerator 225 such that any food item 259 placed in the shelf maybe weighed simultaneously. The measured weight may be displayed to theuser via the user interface 305 on the display screen 260 of therefrigerator 225. Hence, the user can view on the user interface 305when quantity of milk 253, oranges 251, butter 255, etc., has reducedand may order the same to replenish the reduced quantity.

In an embodiment, the refrigerator 225 comprises a trolley device 610for mechanically moving food inside the refrigerator 225. For example, aLazy Susan trolley may be used to mechanically move food items 259 fromthe back of the refrigerator 225 shelf to the front. In one embodimentthe trolley device 610 may be manually spun around to pick a desiredfood item 259 from the shelf. In an embodiment, the trolley device 610may be programmed to function with respect to the diet plan created bythe CPU 290. For example, if the diet plan for Monday's breakfast isbread 246 and butter 255, then the trolley device 610 is pre-programmedto rotate and position the bread 246 and butter 255 in the front of therespective shelf at about 8 am on a Monday morning.

In an embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 may receive from theuser terminal device 215 an image of a meal, a food article, or a foodpackage that the user has consumed or is about to consume. The GPU 210or 240 analyses the image to determine a quality, a quantity, or a kindof food depicted in the image, for example, by using a deep learningalgorithm as explained in the detailed description of FIG. 4B. The CPU290 uses the derived information of the depicted food to change a recipelist based on the food items 259 present in the refrigerator 225. Thechanged recipe list is sent to the user terminal device 215 via thenetwork 220. For example, the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 receive theimage of a chicken curry from the user terminal device 215 as displayedin the user interface 615. The CPU 290 checks the stored diet plan forthe user. As per the diet plan, the user is advised to have chickencurry for dinner the same day. The CPU 290 changes the recipe list toinclude fish curry and broccoli curry instead. The user may click on thefish curry or the broccoli curry to retrieve recipe information.

In an embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 receives deep learning data filesfrom the cloud server 205. The deep learning data files facilitaterecognition of a food item 259 by the GPU 210 or 240 from an image ofthe food item 259. For example, the GPU 210 or 240 may access a deeplearning data file/training model associated with a fish curry stored inthe cloud server 205. The user terminal device 215 sends an image of aparticular fish curry to the refrigerator system 200. The GPU 210 or 240compares the image with the deep learning data file/training model. TheGPU 210 or 240 recognizes the image to be of a barbequed lime and chilicrayfish recipe based on the analysis performed using the deep learningalgorithm. The CPU 290 may search the Internet for different barbequedlime and chili crayfish recipes using a text query term or an imagequery term as explained in the detailed description of FIG. 4C. Based onthe search results different barbequed lime and chili crayfish recipeoptions, for example, Italian barbequed lime and chili crayfish, grilledcrayfish with lime, chilli, and coriander butter, etc., are provided tothe user via the user interface 620. The user may click on any option toaccess corresponding recipe information of the barbequed lime and chilicrayfish. In some embodiment the user may also automatically order andpurchase any missing ingredients, so that the recipe for the dish can beexecuted with the contents of the refrigerator.

Any features of embodiment 60 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42, 50, 70, 80, 81,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 7 demonstrates another embodiment 70 of a more elaboraterefrigerator system 200 for using the identified food items 259 incontrolling and adjusting a diet of a consumer, in accordance with theinvention as a block diagram.

In an embodiment, the CPU 290 uses the information derived from theanalysis of the images concerning the food quantity, the quality, and/orthe kind to control and/or advise the diet of the user. In someembodiments, the cloud GPU 210 is configured to receive images frommultiple refrigerators 225, 226, 227, and/or 228, and use theinformation derived from the analysis of the images concerning the foodquantity, the quality, and/or the kind to control and/or advise the dietof the user. Hence, there is no need for every refrigerator 225, 226,227, and/or 228 to have an individual GPU 240. By sharing a GPU 210 inthe cloud, the use of the GPU 210 is maximised and there is only afractional cost of the GPU 210 to distribute to each refrigerator 225,226, 227, and/or 228.

The CPU 290 generates a diet plan for the user as depicted in the userinterface 705. In an example, the diet plan is generated based onexpiration dates, quantity, quality, etc., of the food items 259 presentin the refrigerator 225 for the week. In an example, the GPU 210 or 240determines that 1 kg of broccoli 248 expiring in 3 days, 2 packets ofwhole wheat bread 246 expiring in 7 days, 1 kg of chicken 252 expiringin 2 days, 1 kg of frozen fish 258 expiring in 5 days, 500 gm of spinachexpiring in 5 days, 500 gm of carrots 249 expiring in 5 days, 1 kg ofFrench beans expiring in 3 days, 2 dozen eggs 247 expiring in 10 days,21 of milk 253 expiring in 5 days, 500 ml of cream expiring in 15 days,500 gm of butter 255 expiring in 30 days, 250 ml of curd expiring in 7days, 500 gm of beetroot expiring in 5 days, etc., are present in therefrigerator 225. The CPU 290 uses the information associated with thequantity and the quality of the food articles to create the diet planfor the user. For example, the diet plan may suggest breakfast optionsas bread with eggs on Monday, beetroot salad on Tuesday, Peas' puddingon Wednesday, and so on, as illustrated in the user interface 705.Similarly, the CPU 290 determines the entire week's lunch and dinnermeal options for the user using the quantity and expiry date informationof the food items 259 present in the refrigerator 225, thereby ensuringminimisation of food wastage, maximisation of diet variety as a functionof time, and maximisation of the healthiness of diet. The diet plancreated by the CPU 290 is illustrated in the user interface 705.

In an embodiment, the CPU 290 uses the derived information concerningthe food quantity, the quality and/or the kind in identifyingdeficiencies in the contents of the refrigerator 225. The CPU 290updates a shopping list based on the identified deficiencies. The CPU290 may send the shopping list to a grocery shop and/or a food deliveryagent 700. For example, the CPU 290 identifies that eggs 247, fish 258,and broccoli 248 need to be replenished. The user may select the itemsand corresponding quantities, pay for the purchase, and the CPU 290sends the order to the grocery store. The grocery store or food deliveryagent subsequently delivers the groceries. The self shoppingrefrigerator system can be programmed to follow a certain nutritionalplan, or purchase budget over time. The self-shopping refrigerator mayalso follow market prices of food articles, recommend purchases to theuser, and also display advertisements to the user. For example, if arecipe can be considerably improved by the purchase of a food article,or a new recipe becomes available by the purchase of a food article, theself-shopping refrigerator may recommend the purchase of this foodarticle to the user, or automatically acquire and purchase the missingfood article if programmed and authorised to do so. Also, theself-shopping refrigerator may be porgrammed to change the choice of thegrocer or delivery agent automatically in response to differences inprices or level of service.

In an embodiment, the CPU 290 uses the derived information concerningthe food quantity, the quality, and/or the kind to identify at least onerecipe for a meal that may be implemented with the food items 259 of therefrigerator 225. In an embodiment, the CPU 290 uses the derivedinformation concerning the food quantity, the quality, and/or the kindto identify a series of recipes for meals that may be implemented withthe food items 259 based upon one or more of criteria comprisingminimisation of waste of food, maximisation of diet variety as afunction of time, and/or maximisation of the healthiness of diet. Forexample, as illustrated in the user interface 310 the CPU 290 suggestsrecipes considering the expiry dates of the ingredients. The diet plandisplayed in the user interface 705 ensures maximisation of diet varietyas a function of time and maximisation of the healthiness of diet.

Any features of embodiment 70 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 80, 81,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 8A demonstrates an embodiment 80 of a software program product userinterface 305 or 615 showing food identification in accordance with theinvention as a screen shot diagram. This could be for example a displayscreen 260 on a front door of the refrigerator 225. In another examplenot depicted in FIG. 8A, the software program product user interface 305or 615 may be the screen 261 of a tablet or a smartphone. Therefrigerator system 200 behind the user interface 305 or 615 could bee.g. embodiment 20, 60, and 70 explained with respect to FIG. 2A, FIG.6, and FIG. 7.

The cameras 235, 236, 237, and/or 238 capture images of the food items259. In an embodiment, the GPU 210/240 uses deep learning data files torecognize a quality, a quantity, or a kind of the food items 259 presentin the refrigerator 225, as explained in the detailed description ofFIG. 4B. The GPU 210 or 240 uses the deep learning files received fromthe cloud server 205 to recognize the food items 259. For example, theGPU 210 or 240 compares an image of an apple 245 with the deep learningdata files. Based on the analysis, the GPU 210 or 240 determines thatthe apple 245 is a fresh Lobo apple that may last up to 7 days in therefrigerator 225.

In another embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 analyses and conducts a visualsearch to identify the food items 259. In an embodiment, the visualsearch may comprise optical identification and/or searching based ontextual information as explained earlier in the detailed description ofFIG. 4C. In an example implementation, the GPU 210 or 240 may identifythe food items 259 using OCR codes, RFID tags, bar codes, etc. In anexample implementation, the OCR codes on the food packages such as milkcartons 253 are processed and identified from the captured images. TheGPU 210 or 240 identifies the best before dates by reading the OCR onthe milk package 253. The derived information such as, a food name, anexpiry date, a quantity, calorie information, etc., is depicted in theuser interface 305.

In another example implementation, the GPU 210 or 240 identifies textualinformation printed on a milk package 253. The CPU 290 uses the textualinformation such as whole wheat bread as a query text term. The CPU 290searches the Internet with the query text term and generates a searchindex comprising search results derived from the Internet. The searchresults may comprise, for example, different kinds of whole wheatbreads, bread types with whole wheat bread synonyms such as whole grainbread or wholemeal bread, whole wheat breads sold by different breadbrands, bread types based on a region, etc. The CPU 290 compares thequery text term with the search index to retrieve a most relevant resultbased on the comparison. The CPU 290 may retrieve a bread name,quantity, nutritional information, etc., associated with the bread typewith the highest relevancy probability amongst the search results.

In an embodiment, the scale 605 electronically or electrically coupledwith the CPU 290 weighs each food item 259 placed in the refrigerator225. The CPU 290 displays the measured weight along with other food itemdetails in the user interface 305. In an example implementation, theuser may judge by the displayed weight whether a particular food item259 needs to be replenished. In another example implementation, the CPU290 identifies a decrease in the quantity of the food items 259 based onthe weight and updates the shopping list with the food items 259 thatneed to be replenished. The weight can also be determined from thephotographs without using a scale, as explained before in someembodiments.

In an embodiment, the GPU 210 or 240 receives images of meals, fooditems 259 from the user terminal device 215. The GPU 210 or 240 analysesthe received image to identify the food quantity, quality, or kind fromthe image to compute a changed recipe list. For example, the usercaptures an Instagram image of a lunch meal comprising an Italianchicken pizza. The user's Instagram account is integrated with therefrigerator system 200 such that the Instagram image is transmitted tothe refrigerator 225 in real time via the network 220. The Instagramimage is displayed in the user interface 615. The GPU 210 or 240analyses the image and determines that the user had Italian chickenpizza for lunch. The diet plan determined by the CPU 290 had pizza withFrench fries recommended for dinner, so the CPU 290 changes the mealoptions to beetroot salad with French fries, egg salad with fishfillets, or broccoli roast with vegetable salad for dinner instead, sothat the user's diet is not too monotonic. The CPU 290 updates therecipe list and the diet plan for the user. The changed recipe list isdisplayed to the user via the user interface 615. The CPU 290 sends theupdated recipe list to the user terminal device 215 via the network 220.

Any features of embodiment 80 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 70, 81,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 8B demonstrates an embodiment 81 of a software program product userinterface 800 or 805 showing a diet plan, in accordance with theinvention as a screen shot diagram. This could be for example a displayscreen 260 on a front door of the refrigerator 225. In another example,the software program product user interface 800 or 805 may be the screen261 of a tablet or a smartphone. The refrigerator system 200 behind theuser interface 800 or 805 could be e.g. embodiment 20, 60, and 70explained with respect to FIG. 2A, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7.

The GPU 210 or 240 analyses images of the food items 259 captured by thecameras 235, 236, 237, and 238 of the refrigerator 225. Based on theanalysis, the GPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 determines and displaysinformation such as, food name, nutritional information, and quantity ofthe food items 259 via the user interface 800. In an embodiment, theuser may input personal information such as, an age, weight, height,gender, a type of job, residence information, etc., and food preferencessuch as a sweet dish after dinner, salads for lunch, a hot beverage forbreakfast, high protein meals, etc.

The CPU 290 uses the personal information and the food preferences alongwith the derived nutritional information of the food items 259 togenerate a diet plan for the user. For example, the CPU 290 may use thepersonal information to calculate a body mass index, an ideal weight, acurrent weight status, ideal calorie intake to maintain an ideal weightor to reach a desired weight in a given time, etc., for the user. TheCPU 290 may use the calculated information to prepare the diet plan suchthat the user may maintain an ideal weight suiting the user's age andgender.

In an example, if the CPU 290 determines that the user's foodpreferences do not allow a healthy diet for the user, the CPU 290 mayalter the diet plan. For example, if the diet plan based on the userpreferences suggests egg salad with milk for breakfast and salmon pizzafor lunch, the CPU 290 determines that the user's diet for the day hasexcess of proteins. Hence, the CPU 290 adds vegetable pasta to dinner tobalance vitamins and carbohydrates in the day's diet plan. The changeddiet plan is illustrated in the user interface 805. In an exampleimplementation, the user may input personal information and foodpreferences of family members or guests such that the CPU 290 mayrecommend a diet plan for each family member or recipe options forpreparing meals for guests.

Any features of embodiment 81 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 70, 80,90, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 9 demonstrates an embodiment 90 of a software program product userinterface 900, 905, or 705 showing use of the food identificationinformation in controlling and adjusting the diet of the user, inaccordance with the invention as a screen shot diagram. This could befor example a display screen 260 on a front door of the refrigerator225. In another example, the software program product user interface900, 905, or 705 may be the screen 261 of a tablet or a smartphone. Therefrigerator system 200 behind the user interface 900, 905, or 705 couldbe e.g. embodiment 20, 60, and 70 explained with respect to FIG. 2A,FIG. 6, and FIG. 7.

In an embodiment, the CPU 290 uses the derived information concerningthe food quantity, quality, and/or kind in identifying deficiencies inthe contents of the refrigerator 225. The identified deficiencies areused in updating a shopping list and/or the shopping list is sent to agrocery shop and/or food delivery agent 700. The CPU 290 identifiesdeficiencies in the food items 259 as and when food is consumed from therefrigerator 225. The CPU 290 dynamically updates the deficient foodarticles in the user interface 905. The user may select a food item 259to be replenished from a list of the food items 259 updated by the CPU290 via the user interface 905. In an embodiment, the CPU 290 update theshopping list based on user preferences obtained from the user apartfrom the deficient food items 259 identified by the GPU 210 or 240. Forexample, the user may be prompted to input any food item 259 of choicesuch as, potatoes, chocolate bars, ice cream, etc., via the userinterface 905. In an embodiment, the user may input a quantity of thefood item 259, a grocer from whom the user wishes to purchase the fooditems 259, or view prices of the food items 259, etc., via the userinterface 905.

In an embodiment, the CPU 290 uses the derived information concerningthe food quantity, quality, and/or kind in identifying at least onerecipe(s) for a meal that could be implemented with the food. Forexample, the GPU 210 or 240 determines that broccoli 248, radish,carrots 249, beetroot, onions, etc., are present in the refrigerator225. The CPU 290 may suggest a broccoli curry recipe that can beprepared by using the abovementioned ingredients. The user may click onthe broccoli curry icon via the user interface 900 to access the recipedetails. In an embodiment, the CPU 290 may obtain user preferences viathe user interface 900 to recommend recipes also based on the derivedinformation for user input. For example, the user may input a preferenceof having a protein-rich meal or a meal rich in green vegetables. TheCPU 290 considers the preferences and suggests chicken curry as theprotein-rich meal and broccoli curry as the vegetable recipe.

Any features of embodiment 90 may be readily combined or permuted withany of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 70, 80,81, 91, 92, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 10A demonstrates an embodiment 91 of the refrigerator 225 showingfood items 259 contained therein, in accordance with the invention as adiagram. The user may store a week's groceries in the refrigerator 225at the start of the week, for example, on Sunday. The cameras 235, 236,237, and/or 238 of the refrigerator 225 capture images of the food items259 placed inside the refrigerator 225. In an example implementation,the images are captured every time the refrigerator doors are closed.Alternatively, photographs can be captured at time intervals, forexample with 5-min, 10-min, 60-min or similar intervals. The GPU 210 or240 analyses the images to determine a quality, a quantity, and/or akind of the food items 259 present in the refrigerator 225. In anexample, FIG. 10A depicts grocery items remaining in the refrigerator225 midway through the week, for example, on Wednesday. The remaininggrocery items include, for example, bread 246, eggs 247, tomatoes 250,carrots 249, broccoli 248, oranges 251, juice boxes 256, apple 245,chicken 252, milk cartons 253, water bottles 1000, beverages 1005,ketchup 1010, etc.

FIG. 10B demonstrates an embodiment 92 of a software program productuser interface 315 showing a derived shopping list to addressdeficiencies in the food items 259 of the refrigerator 225, inaccordance with the invention as a screen shot diagram. This could befor example a display screen 260 on a front door of the refrigerator225. In another example not depicted in FIG. 10B, the software programproduct user interface 315 may be the screen 261 of a tablet or asmartphone. The refrigerator system 200 behind the user interface 315could be e.g. embodiment 20, 60, and 70 explained with respect to FIG.2A, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7.

In this example, the GPU 210 or 240 receives images of the food items259 as present in the refrigerator 225 on Wednesday. The GPU 210 or 240analyses the images to identify the quantity, the quality, and/or thekind of food available in the refrigerator 225 on Wednesday. The CPU 290determines deficient food items 259. In an example implementation, theGPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 compares the image of the inside of therefrigerator 225 captured on Sunday with the image captured on Wednesdayand determines the deficiency in the food items 259. For example, theGPU 210 or 240 and/or CPU 290 determines that since Sunday 1 kg of fish258, 500 gm of chicken 252, 250 gm of carrots 249, 2 cartons of milk253, etc., have been consumed by the user. Over long time the volumes offood consumed can be recorded, and this can be used to form an accuratepicture of the true diet of the user. This diet can then be analysed,improved and optimised to maximise healthiness, good taste, or minimisecost, or obtain any number or a mix of long term dietary goals for theuser. The CPU 290 updates the shopping list to include information ofthe deficient food items 259. For example, the shopping list is updatedto include 1 kg of fish, 250 gm of broccoli, and 2 dozen eggs. Theupdated shopping list is displayed in the user interface 315 asillustrated in FIG. 10B. In an embodiment, the shopping list userinterface 315 is configured as an online ordering user interface wherethe user may add the deficient food items 259 to an online cart. Oncethe user makes payment through the user interface 315 integrated with anonline payment gateway, the CPU 290 sends the shopping list informationto the food delivery agent 700 or to a grocery shop. Preferably theshopping list is communicated electronically, but it can also be printede.g. on paper and provided physically to a grocer in some embodiments ofthe invention. Hence, the invention ensures a hassle-free shoppingexperience to the user by avoiding confusing grocery aisles, wastingtime in long billing queues at shopping marts, or saving transit timefor delivery of the grocery items.

Any features of embodiments 91 and/or 92 may be readily combined orpermuted with any of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42,50, 60, 70, 80, 81, 90, 93, and/or 94 in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 11A demonstrates another embodiment 93 of the refrigerator 225showing food items 259 contained therein, in accordance with theinvention as a diagram. The user may store a week's groceries in therefrigerator 225 as depicted in FIG. 11A. The cameras 235, 236, 237,and/or 238 capture images of the food items 259. The GPU 210 or 240processes and analyses the images to identify each food item 259 presentin the refrigerator 225 along with a quality and quantity of the fooditems 259. The identified food items 259 include, for example, bread246, eggs 247, tomatoes 250, carrots 249, broccoli 248, oranges 251,juice boxes 256, apple 245, chicken 252, milk cartons 253, beverages1005, ketchup 1010, water bottles 1000, etc. Further, the GPU 210 or 240recognizes the quality, quantity, expiry date, calorie information,etc., associated with each food item 259.

FIG. 11B demonstrates an embodiment 94 of a software program productuser interface 310 showing a derived recipe recommendation list based onthe food items 259 of the refrigerator 225, in accordance with theinvention as a screen shot diagram. This could be for example a displayscreen 260 on a front door of the refrigerator 225. In another examplenot depicted in FIG. 11B, the software program product user interface310 may be the screen 261 of a tablet or a smartphone. The refrigeratorsystem 200 behind the user interface 310 could be e.g. embodiment 20,60, and 70 explained with respect to FIG. 2A, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7.

The CPU 290 uses the recognized information associated with the fooditems 259 to create recipe recommendations for the user. For example,the CPU 290 suggests a recipe for chicken curry that includes chickenand tomatoes as ingredients for the recipe. The CPU 290 takes intoconsideration an expiry date of each ingredient to ensure that the fooditems 259 are consumed before their expiration dates. The user interface310 illustrates a recipe list generated by the CPU 290. The recipe listincludes other recipe-related information such as, number of servingsper recipe, number of calories associated with each recipe, etc.

Any features of embodiments 93 and/or 94 may be readily combined orpermuted with any of the other embodiments 10, 20, 21, 30, 40, 41, 42,50, 60, 70, 80, 81, 90, 91, and/or 92 in accordance with the invention.

The invention allows automatic extraction of graphical images of food inthe refrigerator, which images are converted to alphanumeric data thatis descriptive of the food. The alphanumeric data can be more readilyprocessed by computers and humans. Time series photos, or video of afood article for example over 3-5 days can be used to determine changesin the food article colour or size over time. In some embodiments thisremoves the need for scales inside the refrigerator. In order to getthree-dimensional video or time series photos multiple cameras fromdifferent angles inside the refrigerator can be used. If the human usermoves articles inside the refrigerator, image recognition can be used torelocate the moved food article inside the refrigerator and reconstructthe video or time series photos for the food article even though it hasresided in two different places inside the refrigerator. Changes incolour and size of the article can be used to determine quantity of thefood article as well as freshness in some embodiments of the invention.

Completely new human activities, such as automatic grocery shopping,enforcement of dietary regimes and automatic food consumptionoptimisation, as well as procurement cost optimisation become possiblewith the invention. The inventor estimates that the invention saves atleast 20-30 minutes of unnecessary work for the consumer per day,resulting in gigantic gains for the world economy.

The invention has been explained in the aforementioned and sizableadvantages of the invention have been demonstrated. The inventionresults in ensuring minimal or no food wastage, may provide multiplediet plans or recipes as a function of time, and provides healthier andnutritious diets in comparison to diets that are reachable by consumerswith prior art methods. By identifying deficient food items to bereplenished and updating a shopping list with the deficient food items,the invention results in accurate and automatic purchasing decisions.The shopping list is directly communicated with a grocer or a fooddelivery agent 700, preferably electronically, that saves a user moneyand transit time.

The invention leads to optimal food consumption that minimizes foodwastage and simplifies management of logistics of grocery shopping andmeal preparation. The identification of healthier foods and retrieval ofcorresponding recipes and diet plans allows the user to save timeinvested in food preparation and/or procurement. The use of deeplearning architectures by the GPU 210 or 240 for identifying the fooditems present in the refrigerator 225 allows fast processing andanalysis of the images that is time efficient.

The invention has been explained above with reference to theaforementioned embodiments. However, it is clear that the invention isnot only restricted to these embodiments, but comprises all possibleembodiments within the spirit and scope of the inventive thought and thefollowing patent claims.

REFERENCES

US 2016/0327281 A1 CONNECTED FOOD PREPARATION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE,published on Nov. 10, 2016 Bhogal et al.

WO 2011/020742 A1, METHOD AND MEANS FOR DATA SEARCHING AND LANGUAGETRANSLATION, 2011, Mikko Vaananen.

A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION TO DEEP LEARNING WITH CAFFE AND PYTHON,published on Jun. 26, 2016, Adil Moujahid.

1. A refrigerator system comprising: a camera is configured to capture aphotograph of a food article or a food package; a processing unitconfigured to analyse the photograph for determining food quantity, foodquality, or type of food and produce alphanumeric values describing foodquantity, food quality, or type of food into computer readable memory,and the derived information concerning the food quantity, quality and/orkind is configured to be used in controlling and/or advising on the dietof a human and/or mammal, and the derived information concerning thefood quantity, quality and/or kind is configured to be used inidentifying deficiencies in the contents of the refrigerator (225, 226,227, or 228).
 3. A refrigerator system (200), as claimed in claim 1,characterised in that, and the identified deficiencies are configured tobe used in updating a shopping list and/or the shopping list isconfigured to be sent to a grocery shop and/or food delivery agent(700).
 4. A refrigerator system (200), as claimed in claim 1,characterised in that, the derived information concerning the foodquantity, quality and/or kind is configured to be used in identifying atleast one recipe(s) for a meal that could be implemented with the food(259).
 5. A refrigerator system (200), as claimed in claim 4,characterised in that, the derived information concerning the foodquantity, quality and/or kind is configured to be used in identifying aseries of recipes for meals that could be implemented with the food(259) based upon one or more of the following criteria: minimisation ofwaste of food (259), maximisation of diet variety as a function of time,maximisation of the healthiness of diet.
 6. A refrigerator system (200),as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, visual search isconfigured to be conducted with the captured image or part of thecaptured image as a query term, and/or text in at least one food packageis identified from the image, for example with OCR, and the identifiedtext is used as a query term.
 7. A refrigerator system (200), as claimedin claim 6, characterised in that, the best before date on the foodpackage is identified, and the recognised best before date is configuredto be used in compiling a list of recipes for meals as a function oftime, which when implemented consumes the maximum amount of food (259)before the best before date on any of the food (259) has expired and/orthe most expensive food(s) (259) has expired.
 8. A refrigerator system(200), as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, at least onesurface inside the refrigerator (225, 226, 227, or 228) has a scale(605) for weighing food (259) and/or a device (610) for moving food(259) mechanically inside the refrigerator (225, 226, 227, or 228).
 9. Arefrigerator system (200), as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that,the refrigerator system (200) is configured to receive images of mealsand/or food articles and/or food packages from the user and thegraphical processing unit GPU (210 or 240) is configured to analyse thereceived image, and recognise the food quantity, quality and/or kindfrom the image, and optionally use the food quantity, quality and/orkind from the image to compute a changed recipe list, and optionallysend the changed recipe list to user's mobile phone and/or user terminaldevice (215).
 10. A refrigerator system (200), as claimed in claim 1,characterised in that, the refrigerator (225, 226, 227, or 228) isconfigured to receive data files from a cloud server (205), andoptionally the data files are deep learning data files configured tofacilitate the recognition of a food article by the GPU (210 or 240)from an image of the food article, and/or the at least one image and/ordata derived from at least one image is configured to be communicated toa social network account.
 11. A method for controlling and/or advisingon the diet of a human and/or a mammal, comprising at least onerefrigerator (225, 226, 227, or 228), at least one processing unit (210or 240), at least one camera (235, 236, 237, or 238), characterised bythe following steps, capturing a photograph of a food article or a foodpackage using at least one camera; and analyzing the photograph, usingthe processing unit, for determining the food quantity, food quality, ortype of food, and producing alphanumeric values describing foodquantity, food quality, or type of food into computer readable memory,and the derived information concerning the food quantity, quality and/orkind is used in controlling and/or advising on the diet of a humanand/or mammal, and the derived information concerning the food quantity,quality and/or kind is used in identifying deficiencies in the contentsof the refrigerator.
 12. (canceled) A method as claimed in claim 11,characterised in that, the derived information concerning the foodquantity, quality and/or kind is used in controlling and/or advising onthe diet of the human and/or mammal.
 13. A method as claimed in claim11, characterised in that the identified deficiencies are used inupdating a shopping list and/or the shopping list is sent to a groceryshop and/or food delivery agent (700).
 14. A method as claimed in claim11, characterised in that, the derived information concerning the foodquantity, quality and/or kind is used in identifying at least onerecipe(s) for a meal that could be implemented with the food (259). 15.A method as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that, the derivedinformation concerning the food quantity, quality and/or kind is used inidentifying a series of recipes for meals that could be implemented withthe food (259) based upon one or more of the following criteria:minimisation of waste of food (259), maximisation of diet variety as afunction of time, maximisation of the healthiness of diet.
 16. A methodas claimed in claim 11, characterised in that, visual search isconducted on the captured image with the captured image or part of thecaptured image as a query term, and/or text in at least one food packageis identified from the image, for example with OCR, and the identifiedtext is used as a query term.
 17. A method as claimed in claim 16,characterised in that, the best before date on the food package isidentified, and the recognised best before date is used in compiling alist of recipes for meals as a function of time, which when implementedconsumes the maximum amount of food (259) before the best before date onany of the food (259) has expired and/or on the most expensive food(259) has expired.
 18. A method as claimed in claim 11, characterised inthat, at least one surface inside the refrigerator (225, 226, 227, or228) has a scale (605) for weighing food (259) and/or a device (610) formoving food (259) mechanically inside the refrigerator (225, 226, 227,or 228).
 19. A method as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that, therefrigerator system (200) receives images of meals and/or food articlesand/or food packages from the user and the graphical processing unit GPU(210 or 240) analyses the received image, and recognises the foodquantity, quality and/or kind from the image, and optionally uses thefood quantity, quality and/or kind from the image to compute a changedrecipe list, and optionally sends the changed recipe list to user'smobile phone and/or user terminal device (215).
 20. A method as claimedin claim 11, characterised in that, the refrigerator (225, 226, 227, or228) receives data files from a cloud server (205), and optionally thedata files are deep learning data files configured to facilitate therecognition of a food article by the GPU (210 or 240) from an image ofthe food article, and/or the at least one image and/or data derived fromat least one image is communicated to a social network account.
 21. Asoftware program product stored in a memory medium for controlling arefrigerator system, the software program product comprising programmedinstructions for: capturing a photograph of a food article or a foodpackage using at least one camera; and analyzing the photograph, using agraphical processing unit GPU, for determining the food quantity, foodquality, or type of food and producing alphanumeric values describingfood quantity, food quality, or type of food into computer readablememory, and the derived information concerning the food quantity,quality and/or kind is used in controlling and/or advising on the dietof a human and/or mammal, and the derived information concerning thefood quantity, quality and/or kind is used in identifying deficienciesin the contents of the refrigerator.
 23. A software program product asclaimed in claim 21, characterised in that the identified deficienciesare used in updating a shopping list and/or the shopping list is sent toa grocery shop and/or food delivery agent (700).
 24. A software programproduct as claimed in claim 21, characterised in that, the derivedinformation concerning the food quantity, quality and/or kind is used inidentifying at least one recipe(s) for a meal that could be implementedwith the food (259).
 25. A software program product as claimed in claim24, characterised in that, the derived information concerning the foodquantity, quality and/or kind is used in identifying a series of recipesfor meals that could be implemented with the food (259) based upon oneor more of the following criteria: minimisation of waste of food (259),maximisation of diet variety as a function of time, maximisation of thehealthiness of diet.
 26. A software program product as claimed in claim21, characterised in that, visual search is conducted on the capturedimage with the captured image or part of the captured image as a queryterm, and/or text in at least one food package is identified from theimage, for example with OCR, and the identified text is used as a queryterm.
 27. A software program product as claimed in claim 26,characterised in that, the best before date on the food package isidentified, and the recognised best before date is used in compiling alist of recipes for meals as a function of time, which when implementedconsumes the maximum amount of food (259) before the best before date onany of the food (259) has expired and/or on the most expensive food(259) has expired.
 28. A software program product as claimed in claim21, characterised in that, at least one surface inside the refrigerator(225, 226, 227, or 228) has a scale (605) for weighing food (259) and/ora device (610) for moving food (259) mechanically inside therefrigerator (225, 226, 227, or 228).
 29. A software program product asclaimed in claim 21, characterised in that, the software program productreceives images of meals and/or food articles and/or food packages fromthe user and the graphical processing unit GPU (210 or 240) analyses thereceived image, and recognises the food quantity, quality and/or kindfrom the image, and optionally uses the food quantity, quality and/orkind from the image to compute a changed recipe list, and optionallysends the changed recipe list to user's mobile phone and/or userterminal device (215).
 30. A software program product as claimed inclaim 21, characterised in that, the software program product receivesdata files from a cloud server (205), and optionally the data files aredeep learning data files configured to facilitate the recognition of afood article by the GPU (210 or 240) from an image of the food article,and/or the at least one image and/or data derived from at least oneimage is configured to be communicated to a social network account.